Fly-catcher



UNITED STATES PATENT OF CE;

ALBERT ARENTS, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

FLY-CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,382, dated April30, 1889.

Application filed August 29, 1888. Serial No. 284,072. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT ARENrs, of Alameda, Alameda county, State ofCalifornia, have invented an Improvement in Fly- Gatchers; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionbf thesame.

My invention relates to a device to be employed to cat-ch and destroyflies. It consists of one or more strings of suitable length suspendedfrom-the ceiling or from elevated positions within the room from whichit is desired to clear the flies, and a means for preparing, packing,and suspending the strings, as will be more fully explained by referenceto the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 shows my device readyfor use. Fig. 2 shows one packed.

For the purpose of catching and destroying flies, traps of all sorts andpoisonous and sticky paper have been employed with more or less successin rooms where no eatables are exposed; but these devices are noteffective in kitchens and other places where eatables are exposed andaccessible to the flies. If, however, strings or elongated strips aresuspended from the ceiling or from elevations in such places, the flies,if present in the room, will be attracted by these strings,notwithstanding the presence of 'eatables. Whether this be on account ofthe glistening appearance of the-coated strings, or for some otherreason that cannot be explained, the fact remains that such strings willattract and catch the flies in a room within a' short time.

In carrying out my invention I take ordinary loosely twisted twine,which may be one-sixteenth or one-eighth of an inch, or any suitablediameter, and fix at one end a loop or ring, by which it may besuspended from a hook in the ceiling or at some considerable elevationin the room. This string may be about five feet in length ordinarily,and in the opposite end-I fix a piece of cork or other similar substancepreferably semi-cylindrical in shape and about onefourth of an inchthick. This cork has a hole in the center, through which the string maybe passed, and a knot tied therein to keep it from slipping out, or itmay simply be tied to the string or otherwise secured. I then take abottle, D, having a wide mouth, through which the elongated stop 0 canbe passed into the bottle. After it is turned in the bottle the endsextend out so far that it will not pull out through the neck while inthis position, and the convex surface fits against the shoulders of thebottles neck, so as to keep it upright. The string, which is stillclean, is then coiled on top of the cork in the bottle, leaving the ringB and a small piece of the string to hang outside of the neck. Aknot,-I, is made in the string about an inch from the ring, and thislies under the stopper Within the bottle and serves to pull it out whendesired. Any strongly-adhesive compound may now be poured into thebottle, so as to saturate the string. I prefer to use rosin and anyvegetable or animal oil, in about the proportion of two parts of rosin,by weight, to one of the oil, although these proportions may be variedslightly Without essentially altering the character of the compound.These ingredients are melted and stirred together until they willincorporate, and then poured into the bottle While still in a hot andfluid condition, so as to cover the string. The cork is then introduced,and when the material is cold it will be of a stiff vascid nature. Inthis condition the packages, which are very inexpensive, may be shippedto any point where they are to be used, and will keep for an indefinitetime. When they are to be used, a pull on the ring will draw the cork,which closes the bottle by means of the knot I, before described, andthe ring may then be slipped upon a hook in the ceiling of a room andthe bottle left suspended therefrom, The weight of the bottle will causeit to gradually descend, the string An improved fly-catcher consistingof a bot- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my tle containing asuitable sticky compound, a hand. string having a suspending-100p at oneend and a button at the opposite end for securing ALBERT ARENTS. 5 thestring within the bottle, said string having also the knot I, which liesunder the bot- \Vitnesses:

ale-stopper and serves to remove it when de- S. H. NOURSE,

sired, as herein set forth. H. (1.; LEE.

